What is organisational behaviour?

Question 1

Organisation

Answer 1

An organisation is a consciously coordinated unit of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals.

Question 2

Organisational behaviour

Answer 2

A field os study that investigates the impact individuals, group, and structure have on behaviour within organisations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organisation’s effectiveness.

Question 3

Systematic study

Answer 3

Looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and drawing conclusions based on scientific evidence.

Question 4

Evidence based management (EBM)

Answer 4

The basing of managerial decisions on the best available evidence.

Question 5

Intuition

Answer 5

A gut feeling not necessarily supported by research.

Question 6

Psychology

Answer 6

The science that seeks to measure, explain and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other animals.

Question 7

Social psychology

Answer 7

An area of psychology that blends concepts from psychology and sociology and that focuses on the influence of people on one another.

Question 8

Sociology

Answer 8

The study of people in relation to their social, environment or culture.

Question 9

Anthropology

Answer 9

The study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.

Question 10

Contingency variable

Answer 10

Situational factors: variable that moderate the relationship between two or more variables.

Question 11

Workforce diversity

Answer 11

The concept that organisations are becoming more heterogenous in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and inclusion of other diverse groups.

Question 12

Positive organisational scholarship

Answer 12

An area of OB research that concerns how organisations develop human strength, foster vitality and resilience, and unlock potential.

Question 13

Model

Answer 13

A simplified representation of some real world phenomenon.

Question 14

Dependent variable

Answer 14

A response that is affected by and independent variable.

Question 15

Productivity

Answer 15

A performance measure that includes effectiveness and efficiency.

Question 16

Effectiveness

Answer 16

Achievement of goals.

Question 17

Effeiciency

Answer 17

The ratio of effective output to the input required to achieve it.

Question 18

Absenteeism

Answer 18

The failure to report to work.

Question 19

Turnover

Answer 19

Voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal from an organisation.

Question 20

Deviant workplace behaviour

Answer 20

Voluntary behaviour that violates significant organisational norms and, in so doing, threatens the well - being of the organisation or its members.

Question 21

Organisational citizenship behaviour

Answer 21

Discretionary behaviour that is not part of an employee’s formal job requirements but that nevertheless promotes the effective functioning of the organisation.

Question 22

Job satisfaction

Answer 22

A positive feeling about one’s job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics.

Question 23

Independent variable

Answer 23

The presumed cause of change in some dependent variable.